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Fall 2018 November 19th 2018h Issue V Who’s Thankful? By Emma Lee Collins SUNY CCC’s Education Depart- leaf something the student is thankful for, ment, in an effort to raise a happier class- and then students hung the leaves near the room atmosphere has set up a paper tree in branches for others to admire. Their thank- the halls of the Schuyler Building. The ful leaves and the brightly colored tree it- tree, decorated with owls, is located out- side classroom 204, its brightly colored self serves as an example that no matter thankful leaves gaining the attention of where we all come from, everyone is those who walk past it. thankful for something. The Thankful Tree was created by Stop by to make a leaf, and share education students on November 6 during what you are thankful for! Simply visit the college hour. After the tree was up, room 204, or talk to Julie Dick, Professor each student wrote on a paper of Education. Ithaca Wizarding Weekend By Jacque Thomas Halloween has passed, and those in love with the holiday are now gear- ing up for Thanksgiving. However, be- fore Halloween, Ithaca hosted a festival called Ithaca’s Wizarding Weekend 2018. This festival celebrated every- thing from other realms, including my personal favorite, Harry Potter. and craft tickets to use throughout the festival, access to the movie star Q&A session, an exclusive T-shirt, and a photo-op with a special guest. However, if you were like me, a broke college student, you could en- joy the street festival for free. The town anticipated this event and shops in the streets were even participating in the festival by decorating their windows and displays with Potter- themed items and clothes. One went even so far as to get a huge blow-up dragon. The festival was anticipated on platforms like Facebook and websites like wizardingweekend.com where those who wished to do events and magical artifacts hunts could get tickets ranging from $15-$85. The smallest tickets included things like the Potions Crawl and the Magical Artifact Hunt. The largest tickets included the Potions Crawl, Magical Artifact Hunt, 21 game, gear, and all different types of scythes and weapons for those not there for Har- ry Potter. There was a magician in one tent, food from another galaxy in anoth- er, and even a band under the awning of the local movie theater playing songs from movies associated with the festival. Although it was raining, there At the festival whole families were still many people outside enjoying dressed as their favorite houses, people the festivities. There were many shops from all realms dressed in their favorite that held magical artifacts to find in or- L.A.R.P. gear, and even incredibly real- der to avoid the weather. However, if istic cosplays from Fantastic Beasts and you got cold, or had little ones, there Harry Potter. People from all walks of were magical classes, like Herbology of- life enjoyed the celebration. fered at the Tompkins Community Pub- Now, the cosplays weren’t the on- lic Library. Here you could use muggle ly thing to see. The vendors were amaz- science to learn magical classes. Even ing in creating a vibe of a whole new though the rain put a small damper on world. There were vendors with home- the day, the festival was really fun and made wands of all sizes for sale, house will return at the end of next October. YO! Don’t be contaminated, get vaccinated! By Dr. Robert Koble No, this version of the disease will not in- Imagine you are an adult from Vir- th fect you, but you might feel some symp- ginia with ten kids in the 19 century and toms since your body is responding to this a person says to you, “I can make sure pathogen. But to be honest, I’ll take snif- your kids will not die from measles and fles compared to being in an Iron Lung polio. Sure their arm will be sore for a day, (cue metal band name) for the rest of my but they won’t have a greater than 2% life. chance of dying.” If I were that adult, I So, Dr. K, if this is a miracle for hu- would be pretty stoked because the death mans, why do I hear all these bad things rate due to measles is greater than 20 in about it? Great question! It is due to misin- 1000 individuals. Today? It is less than 1 formation! You most undoubtedly heard per 100,000 individuals. What is that mira- about the CRAZY thought that vaccines cle cure? VACCINES! cause autism. Or that vaccines have mercu- ry inside of them and that it will kill you. Or that vaccines will make you turn green, photosynthesize, and change all of your proteins to chlorophyll (ok, that might just be my dream – autotrophs FTW). But let’s take a look at these claims. Falsehood 1: Vaccines cause autism. Enter two villains, Ex-Dr. Andrew Wake- field and failed actress Jenny McCarthy. Mr. Wakefield published a report that linked autism to vaccines. However, there were so many problems with his report that Figure : This is measles. Be scared. Seriously, look up pic- tures of people with measles. It is more disgusting than it was retracted and he lost his medical li- grading final exams! Honestly, the best thing about a PhD is that I don’t have to take a final exam ever again. [Wikipedia cense! images]. Were there inconsistencies in his data? What is a vaccine? It is a way for your body to be prepared to fight against a real, honest- YES to-goodness pathogen. Normally, if you survive a Did he pay off his subjects? YES disease, your body will make antibodies (scouts), Did he have a control group? NO which can detect a disease and raise alarms before it can kill you. Was he funded by lawyers who were suing A vaccine allows you to bypass the whole vaccine makers? YES getting a deadly disease part [insert eye roll emo- Since then, there has been no credi- ji] and instead presents a harmless (I stress harm- less) version of the disease. ble, peer-reviewed paper that links vac- cines to autism. Also, his medical license was taken away due to his dishonesty. that, the mercury in vaccines were not the However, uninformed and famous people version that harms you. The kind in vac- will still claim that vaccines cause autism. cines was ethylmercury, not methymercury. Enter [thunder strikes and lightning bolts NEXT ARGUMENT! with a maniacal laugh] Jenny McCarthy. Vaccines have stabilizers like Sorbitol. She went through news media claiming her Hey, guess what? Your body produces sor- child has autism that was caused by vac- bitol and is found in fruits and berries. It is cines. Does she have a medical license? found as a sweetener in foods and drinks, Does she have a PhD in Immunology? Or like the one below. NEXT ARGUMENT!? Biology? Or even ANYTHING THAT MAKES HER REMOTELY QUALIFIED TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON VAC- CINES? NO! It turns out that her child never had autism and instead had another neurological disorder. BUNK! GOD I’M SO UPSET JUST WRITING THIS! So why do people think vaccines Figure 3: See! Sorbitol in the ingredient list. If you don't like cause autism? The MMR vaccine (against this picture, I don't blame you, Jolly Ranchers are disgusting, measles, mumps, and rubella) is adminis- like uninformed people! And mold! tered when a child is approximately two Why you should get a vaccine. years old and autism presents around the Not only do vaccines help protect you same time. I can see why people may make against life-threatening diseases, but it helps protect others that cannot be vac- this association, but there is no scientific cinated. It is everyone’s moral imperative and credible evidence to link these two. In- to protect the immune-deficient and chil- dividuals who do not get vaccinated can dren from dying of preventable diseases. have autism and individuals who have had This is due to herd immunity. If enough the vaccine do not have autism. So what people are vaccinated, the disease cannot causes autism? Scientists aren’t sure but spread because vaccinated individuals cre- there seems to be a genetic component as ate a “herd” around the vulnerable. This did not happen in Marin County, Califor- well as the parent’s age at conception. nia. Two unvaccinated children contracted measles (A DISEASE THAT HAD BEEN Falsehood 2: Vaccines contain chemicals ERADICATED IN AMERICA in 2000 that kill you, like... DAMNIT – GOD I’M SO ANGRY) at Formaldehyde. Holy crap vaccines have Disneyland and since Marin County has a formaldehyde? SO DOES YOUR BLOOD very low vaccination rate, an outbreak oc- and the levels of formaldehyde in vaccines curred. If more individuals were vaccinat- have no effect on the human body. NEXT ed, herd immunity would have stopped, or ARGUMENT! lessened the outbreak. So, don’t be a snot – Vaccines have mercury. NO THEY DON’T. and get your shot! I’ll see myself out. OMGWTF!@#Q$##@! It was removed in If you have any questions, feel free the early 2000s. Even before to contact me at [email protected]. Meet the Japanese Language Club By Timothy Kresock Last semester SUNY Corning Com- diner on Market Street, organized by munity College added the Japanese Lan- Sister Cities Association of Corning. guage Club. I am a club member and want This semester, we hosted a make-your you to know all about opportunities and fun -own sushi roll event last month and we offer on campus, from learning the Japa- the Japanese scary story scavenger nese language and about the Japanese culture hunt and scar face painting on Hallow- to hanging out with new friends during een.